The present invention relates to a card connector assembly for receiving a card device such as a PC card and more particularly to a card connector assembly provided with an eject device wherein the eject device is assembled directly into a support frame of the connector assembly thereby reducing the number of components of the connector assembly and the resultant assembly and manufacturing costs.
Card connectors equipped with eject devices are known. One example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-219756. In this card connector, as shown in FIG. 10, a card 300 is loaded, and unloaded in a direction indicated by the arrow. An eject device 302 that is connected to a release lever 301 is actuated when the card is to be ejected. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of this connector, showing an overview of eject device 302. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of eject device 302. As is apparent from these figures, eject device 302 is formed into a cartridge and therefore after the eject device 302 is assembled as a cartridge, it is fixed to a support frame 304 of the connector. As shown in FIG. 12, eject device 302 is composed of a case 305, a cover 306, an eject lever 307, a push button 308, a coil spring 310, a spring 311 and a contact plate 309. A reception groove 312 for push button 308 and a fixture groove 313 for fixing case 305 to support frame 304 are provided in case 305. The rest of the components including push button 308 are assembled to case 302. After being assembled, the eject device 305 is fixed to support frame 304 by utilizing fixture groove 313.
In such a conventional card connector, since eject device 302 is of a cartridge type, it is possible to assemble the eject device in a separate step, as a separate assembly process. Thus, it is possible to assemble or retrofit eject device 302 to support frame 304 if and when an eject device is required.
On the other hand, because this known eject device 302 is structured as a separate cartridge, many (seven) components are used, which increase the cost of manufacture this structure as well as the labor required to assemble it together.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a card connector assembly in which an eject device may be directly assembled onto a support frame, to thereby decrease the number of components and correspondingly reduce the overall cost of the connector assembly by reducing the manufacturing, inventory and assembly costs.
According to the present invention, a card connector assembly for receiving a card member such as a PC card comprises a card guide portion, connector portions including a card connector and a substrate connector, a support frame continuous with both the card guide portion and the connector portions, and an eject device, wherein the eject device comprises a slide member provided movably along the support frame, a movable lever operating in accordance with movement of the slide member for moving the card in a direction away from the card connector, and a cam mechanism for defining the sliding range of the slide member, wherein a portion of the cam mechanism is provided directly on the support frame.
The support frame is provided with a guide groove for the slide member extending in a direction of movement of the slide member and a card guide portion extending in a direction of movement of the card. This arrangement effectively utilizes the support frame as an integral component in the eject device.
The cam mechanism includes a cam groove provided directly in the support frame, a pin plate having a pin for movement within the cam groove, a spring member for biasing the pin plate toward the cam groove, and a coil spring for biasing the slide plate to a retracted position. With such an arrangement, it is possible to simplify the structure of the cam mechanism.
A holder portion retains the pin plate such that the pin plate is angularly movable within the cam groove in a defined range. This arrangement eliminates the connection between the pin plate and the slide member, thereby further simplifying the structure of the cam mechanism.
A reception recess for receiving the coil spring is provided in the slide member. This arrangement facilitates the assembly of the coil spring into the slide member and allows the eject device as a whole to be formed into a relatively compact structure.
A rib portion having a surface substantially parallel to the surface of an inserted card is provided on a side surface of the support frame, and the cam groove is provided in the surface of the rib portion. The cam groove is provided in the surface of the rib portion so that the card connector assembly not only has a reduced number of components, but can be made thinner overall as well.
The eject device functions such that the pin plate moves in accordance with the retraction and advancement of the slide member, and the cam groove comprises a first cam groove for defining the advanced position of the pin plate, a second cam groove for defining the retraction position of the pin plate, and a third cam groove continuous with the first and second cam grooves for defining a lock position of the pin plate. The lock position of the pin plate is set after the card has been ejected to prevent misinsertion of a card after ejection.
It is preferable that the support frame is made of a molded plastic resin so that the guide grooves for the slider member and the card guide portions are formed as part of the support frame during the molding process. Furthermore, since the support frame is made of resin, conductive terminals for the connector portion can be assembled directly onto the support frame. This arrangement also enhances manufacturing efficiency and the ultimate reduction in manufacturing costs.
Thus, according to the present invention, the eject device is directly assembled within the arm portion of the support frame so that it is possible to eliminate extraneous components such as are used in prior art eject devices. As a result, the number of components of the connector assembly is reduced, thereby correspondingly reducing the number of assembly steps, and the resultant manufacturing costs of the connector assembly.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of a card connector assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which are shown in the accompanying drawings.